Slowly, progress has been made over the last 3 weeks to equip my apartment with what is needed.

The school was waiting to purchase the air-conditioning/heating unit because they were ordering in bulk to save money. Many of the computer classrooms needed new units as well as several of the campus offices so it was decided that my apartment would be included in the bulk buy.

Naturally, our roasting temperatures would have to end a few days ago, sending us all a lovely autumn temperature dip into the 70’s during the day, the 60’s during the night. No need for cooling off anything as it’s already cool. And, naturally, the appliances ordered by the school would arrive 2 days ago along with the chillier weather. Gee, just in time not to be of great use.

But I certainly am not complaining. I am very happy to have this thing, hot weather or not. Since it doubles as a heater, it’ll certainly come in handy during the winter months, where we can get to freezing.

My appliance was to be mounted on the wall, in the bedroom, and came in 2 huge boxes. The delivery guy lugged them up the 3 flights of stairs and deposited them into my apartment on Monday. Today, Wednesday, had the installment workers from the appliance company hustling over to my place at 4 p.m. to unpack the boxes, assemble whatever and put the thing up.

One of the installers wraps the air-con unit’s electrical cables together with masking tape before it’s mounted on the wall.

Stage 2 was to hang the machine.

I had two very down-to-business guys tromping about with efficiency and speed. They were used to this kind of thing and went about their work in a professional manner. They even consulted me on where I wanted the outside machine unit to go. It was a rather huge thing and we had a discussion about which windows I didn’t want to open in the bedroom. I have 3 small window panels in the bedroom. The outside unit sits on the security bars and would block either the right side or the left side windows from being opened.

I just left it up to them.

Discussions were made on which windows I didn’t want opened.

Worker 2, balancing on the window’s iron security bars, positions the outside unit and connects to the inside air-conditioner.

There it sits, with styrofoam packaging stuffed underneath to keep it evenly balanced. (One does wonder how long the styrofoam will last before it disintegrates.)

There she is, up and running!

As always, I had to have my camera ready to document the entire process for my website. My 2 installers got the biggest kick out of my camera-happy fingers. But is was a curious interloper from the hallway, who just wandered into my open door to see what was going on, that became infatuated with my camera. He wanted to see all the photos I’d taken. After doing a review of the shots, he insisted that we have group pictures taken. Didn’t matter that he had no idea who the other fellows were, or me for that matter, we just had to have those pictures taken.

The company installers were certainly up for it and eager to participate. I’m sure they rarely, if ever, have their photos taken together, much less in a working environment. This was their chance and they weren’t going to miss it, even if it meant being photographed with a total stranger.

Our interloper (middle) with the two company workers.

Yes, that’s me with our guy from the hallway. I certainly made his day!

Tomorrow comes the washing machine, or rather 2 washing machines going out while the third will be coming in.

How did I end up with 3 washing machines? That in itself is another very interesting story yet to be told.

Until next time, Ping An (Peace) for your day!

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About connieinchina

I have been in the Asia region for 18 years as an English language teacher. 13 of those have been spent with the Amity Foundation, a Chinese NGO that works in all areas of development for the Chinese people. Amity teachers are placed at small colleges throughout China as instructors of English language majors in the education field. In other words, my students will one day be English teachers themselves in their small villages or towns once they graduate. Currently, this is my second year in Guangxi Province at the 3-year college, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities. The college is located in smalltown longzhou, 1 hour from the Vietnam border.